Article

Now from Nationwide: Top 10 reasons to take pets to the vet

January/February 2019 California Bountiful magazine

Pets require routine medical attention just like their human counterparts, and although common issues such as ear infections and skin allergies are rarely life-threatening, they can be unexpected and expensive. Nationwide, the nation's first and largest provider of pet health insurance, sorted through its database of more than 600,000 insured pets to determine the top medical conditions that prompted veterinary visits for dogs and cats in 2016. Here are the results:

Dogs

Skin allergies

Ear infections

Non-cancerous skin masses

Skin infections

Arthritis

Periodontitis/dental disease

Vomiting/upset stomach

Diarrhea/intestinal upset

Bladder or urinary tract infections

Anal gland inflammation/infections

Cats

Periodontitis/dental disease

Bladder or urinary tract disease

Chronic kidney disease

Vomiting/upset stomach

Excessive thyroid hormone

Diarrhea/intestinal upset

Diabetes

Inflammatory bowel disease

Skin allergies

Valvular heart disease or murmur

"We encourage pet owners to schedule regular medical checkups as recommended by their veterinarians to prevent many common, yet problematic medical conditions," said Dr. Carol McConnell, vice president and chief veterinary medical officer for Nationwide. "It's important for pet owners to be familiar with their pet's daily habits, to help identify oddities in their routine. Early detection can prevent many of these issues from becoming serious."

In 2017, Nationwide members spent more than $81 million to treat the 10 most common medical conditions affecting their pets. Skin allergies were the most common health issue among Nationwide-insured canines, with more than 102,000 individual claims. Dental diseases accounted for the most common medical condition among Nationwide-insured felines, with more than 5,200 claims.